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Whatever Happened To Susan Gibney, ‘Leah Brahms’ On Star Trek: The Next Generation?

By Nick Lee | September 18, 2023

Susan Gibney is one of many people who became celebrated for their connection to Star Trek. Her best-known role is playing Dr. Leah Brahms on Star Trek: Next Generation. She has also been in different television and movie roles.

Gibney is a California native whose family moved to Webster in western New York. She graduated from Webster Schroeder High School in 1979. A college graduate, Gibney attended Buffalo State College, majoring in theater. She later got her MFA from the Yale School of Drama. 

She was born on 9/11/1961 and is now 61 years old. Her parents divorced when she was young. Gibney is one of eight children and stands 5’7”. Her astrological sign is Virgo.

After graduation, Susan appeared in several plays, such as Tartufe (1992) at Connecticut’s Hartford Stage. She cut next her teeth with off-Broadway roles in New York. 

Acting Career

Gibney has been active in film, theater, and television since the late 1980s. Her first credited T.V. role was in Spenser for Hire. Other acting gigs include Columbo (1989) and an episode of L.A. Law. Film parts include The Waterdance (1992) and 2015’s horror movie We Are Still Here. 

In the series Diagnosis Murder, Gibney had two roles. One lasted for an episode, the other a recurring role. 

Star Trek: The Next Generation

Gibney’s involvement in Star Trek started with two episodes of The Next Generation. She played Dr. Leah Brahms, a flinty warp drive engineer responsible for the Enterprise’s warp engines.

Her character was seen on two episodes – “Booby Trap” and “Galaxy’s Child.” In the first episode, the Enterprise finds an ancient warship among a planet’s rubble in the first episode. A dormant booby trap ensnared the ship, draining the ship’s engines and showering radiation. 

Lieutenant LaForge discovers Brahms’s information in the ship’s memory. He creates a holodeck image of her to help him find a solution. He then imbues Brahms’s A.I. with her tough, smart personality. Together, they solve the Enterprise’s dilemma. 

In “Galaxy’s Child,” the real Dr. Brahms travels to the Enterprise. She and Lt. LaForge clash over how he cares for the warp engines. She angrily discovers LaForge created a holodeck program. The program helped rescue the crew in “Booby Trap.”

LaForge then created a virtual affair, not knowing Brahms was married. They patch up their differences to free the ship from a space-borne energy-sucking life form and its offspring. 

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

After her TNG stint, destiny had more Trek coming Gibney’s way. 1996 brought an appearance on Deep Space 9. She guest starred as Commander Benteen in the two episodes – “Homefront” and “Paradise Lost.”

Gibney’s character was the adjutant of a Star Fleet Admiral using war to cover up his political plotting. The DS9 crew uncovered the plot – traveling to Earth to expose it. The Admiral ordered Benteen to stop them. Once she realized the truth, the Commander defied the order, siding with the crew.   

Star Trek Auditions

Gibney almost achieved Trek greatness three times. She auditioned unsuccessfully for three of the most well-known characters. Her first brush was Captain Janeway , followed by Seven of Nine . Gibney also tried for the Borg Queen in the movie Star Trek: First Contact.

The actress also auditioned for the roles of Tasha Yar and Deanne Troi. Alas, this was not to be!

The Early 2000’s

Following her Star Trek roles, Gibney acted in T.V. roles and a smattering of movies. Her first role was in the short-lived The Fearing Mind for six episodes. Crossing Jordan was a recurring role for Gibney – from 2002 to 2007 as DA Rene Walcott.

Her last ongoing sitcom was Happy Family (2003) for one season. She played a middle-aged woman dating a neighbor’s younger son. 

What is Susan Gibney doing now?

Susan Gibney has retired from acting for the most part. In 2004, after becoming pregnant with her daughter, Gibney moved to her mother’s home town of Webster, New York. She stated that she moved because Los Angeles was not a suitable environment to raise kids. She specifically mentioned that the education system in Los Angeles was not very good, unless you can afford an expensive private school.

She did however reprise her role as Leah Brahms in a 2022 episode of Star Trek Lower Decks. Instead of the steely engineer, she played a steamy one. Is it nerd love?

Gibney has focused her efforts on teaching acting instead of being an actor. Her business, Rogue Acting Training, is located in Rochester, NY. 

Family Life

Unlike many stars today, Gibney has kept this part of her life quiet. No sources mention a divorce. There is not much information on the web or social media. She holds a Twitter account – @susangibney911 –, but there have been no tweets since 2018.

Gibney has two children. Her daughter Samantha came first in 1992 and another in 2004.

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About Nick Lee

Nick is a Senior Staff Writer for Ned Hardy. Some of his favorite subjects include sci-fi, history, and obscure facts about 90's television. When he's not writing, he's probably wondering how Frank Dux got 52 consecutive knockouts in a single tournament. More from Nick

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Leah Brahms

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• 1 Biography
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Biography [ ]

Leah Brahms was a graduate of the Daystrom Institute , and in the late 2350s and 2360s decades , was a junior member at the Theoretical Propulsion Group at Utopia Planitia , where she was a member of the team that developed the Galaxy and Nebula -class warp engines. ( TNG episodes : " Booby Trap ", " Galaxy's Child ")

In the year 2369 , Brahms reported for the TPG on their study of Dreman dilithium , saying adjustments to standard warp drive technology would be necessary to integrate the new variety of dilithium . ( SCE eBook : Progress )

Sometime later, Brahms discovered that the Genesis Device technology was stolen. She survived the wave created due to an experiment with phase-shifting technology, but her husband died in the incident. Through her research, she was able to discover the source of the wave. After the crisis passed, La Forge admitted his love for her, but only asked her to meet him at an engineering conference a few months later. ( TNG - The Genesis Wave novels : The Genesis Wave, Book 1 , The Genesis Wave, Book 2 )

As of 2382 Brahms was working with the Starfleet Corps of Engineers aboard the testbed starship USS Challenger alongside Captain Montgomery Scott . Together the two had transformed the base model Challenger into a highly advanced prototype starship in an effort to keep the Galaxy -class modern. During her time aboard the Challenger , Brahms would be reunited with Geordi La Forge and the two would restore their relationship during the Challenger 's assigned to investigate trans-slipstream under the newly promoted La Forge. When the Challenger was destroyed in 2383 , Brahms would agree to, temporarily, move in with La Forge aboard the USS Enterprise -E after he accepted his original position aboard that vessel to see how she felt about working on only one vessel instead of many. ( TNG novel : Indistinguishable from Magic )

Brahms' tenure about the Enterprise was brief, and she and La Forge soon parted company. However, they remained on good terms. In late 2385 , Brahms and La Forge resumed their relationship, while he was on sabbatical and studying at Starfleet Academy , despite La Forge having been seeing Tamala Harstad before he left the Enterprise . When La Forge received a message from Data , Brahms encourage her paramour to go to his friend. La Forge returned several days later, to pick up where he and Brahms had left off. Once La Forge returned to the Enterprise , he resumed his previous relationship with Harstad. ( TNG novels : The Light Fantastic , Armageddon's Arrow )

In early 2387 , Brahms invited both La Forge and Harstad to dinner in Berlin . ( TNG novel : Collateral Damage )

In the anti-time future ( 2395 ) experienced by Starfleet captain Jean-Luc Picard , Brahms and La Forge were married and had three children. At that time, Dr. Brahms had just become director of the Daystrom Institute . She had also taken up gardening. ( TNG episode & novelization : All Good Things... )

Appendices [ ]

Connections [ ], external link [ ].

• Leah Brahms article at Memory Alpha , the wiki for canon Star Trek .
• Leah Brahms article at the Star Trek Timelines Wiki .
• 1 The Chase
• 2 Preserver (race)
• 3 J.P. Hanson

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Published Mar 28, 2014

Meet The Actress Who Almost Played Janeway, Part 2

Susan Gibney appeared in four episodes of Star Trek – portraying Dr. Leah Brahms in The Next Generation hours “ Booby Trap ” and “ Galaxy’s Child ” and Commander Erika Benteen in the Deep Space Nine installments “ Homefront ” and “ Paradise Lost .” However, Gibney very, very nearly spent much more time in the Star Trek universe. She was among the frontrunners for the role of Captain Janeway on Star Trek: Voyager . The role, of course, went to Genevieve Bujold, who departed soon after production commenced. Voyager ’s producers again called back Gibney, though Kate Mulgrew ultimately won the role. It’s also true that Gibney auditioned for the roles of Deanna Troi, Tasha Yar, Seven of Nine and

Undeterred by her Voyager near-miss, the actress got on with her career, starring on Happy Family , recurring on Crossing Jordan and guest starring on Lost and The Mentalist . These days, Gibney runs Rogue Actor Training , a just-opened acting studio in Rochester, New York, where she lives with her family, and she has completed work on an upcoming horror film, We Are Still Here . StarTrek.com recently spoke with Gibney for an extensive interview that we’ve run in two parts. Below is part two.

Let’s talk about your DS9 character, Commander Benteen…

GIBNEY: I’d wanted to check out the Deep Space Nine world, too, because it was different. That was all about Changelings, those episodes. There were some great actors. Rene Auberjonois had done a lot of great work up at ACT and I knew him as a really great theater actor, and I was excited to work with him. It was a classic Star Trek job, being a soldier on the ship, being one of the crew. That was appealing to me.

Most actors who have done both TNG and DS9 say they were very different sets, in terms of the overall personalities of the sets, the casts. What was your experience?

GIBNEY: I think, because of the character I played on TNG , because I wasn’t part of the crew, because I was a separate entity, I… I’m not sure of the word I’m looking for, but there’s a different sense you get playing a soldier, a member of the crew, than you do playing someone like Leah Brahms. The kinds of scenes I did as Brahms were about being emotional, whereas the scenes I did as Benteen were about being ready to serve. I’m not wording that very well, but I hope you understand what I’m trying to say.

You almost also played Seven of Nine on Voyager and you almost also played the Borg Queen in First Contact . Take us through what happened with those two opportunities.

GIBNEY: I was tested twice for those two. So I’ve had a very long relationship with Star Trek . Unfortunately, I kept slipping through the cracks. I think that Rick Berman and actually Jonathan Frakes… Jonathan was the one who (on First Contact ) called me and said, “Susan, you’ll be the Borg Queen.” Then he had to call me back the next day and say, “I’m so sorry, you’re not going to be the Borg Queen,” which was very hard. I think there was some conflict of personalities with the head of Paramount and Rick Berman. They often had different opinions about what would be good for the show, and I think Rick really wanted me to be a part of the show, but Paramount did not.

How close did you come to snagging Seven?

GIBNEY: I tested twice for it. I went in and tested the first time and they didn’t like any of the other people, and they said, “Well, we want another test with Susan with other people.” That’s when Jeri (Ryan) came in. So, yes, I was up to the wire for many roles, and I hope someday maybe they’ll have a grandmother character that I can play.

You did have two memorable roles on the two different Star Trek series, which not a lot of actors can claim. But it’s amazing how within reach so much more was…

GIBNEY: It would have been life-changing. It would have been a life-changer, for sure, but I am so happy with what I have done and my Star Trek experience has been such a positive one. It definitely was a challenge and I cut my teeth on learning how to keep going even though you may not get something that’s really exciting to you. It’s all part of building up who you are, building up your character and learning how to take what you’ve learned and keep going. It’s always been a bittersweet sort of thing, but I don’t sit here holding on to resentment holding about it. There are reasons those ladies got those jobs. They did a fantastic job.

Let’s bring everybody up to speed. Tell us about your new acting studio and your current projects?

GIBNEY: Rogue Actor Training is an actor training studio that I’ve created here in Rochester. I’ve been working on it for several months. I knew that when I came up here I didn’t have a lot to do and I was looking for other people who were actors and wanted to keep on working and keep their craft up, and it was very difficult to find anything. So I’ve solved that problem by doing it myself. My site for it is called Rogueactors.com . Before that, up here, I was the director of the theater program at Roberts Wesleyan College. I was a professor there and directed all of their shows. I also taught acting at the community college here, Monroe Community College.

Every couple of years I’ll go back out west to work.

So I’m busy and creatively fulfilled, and I’m very happy here. When I lived in L.A., I was appearing on all kinds of shows, and I’m not doing as much being here, though I certainly still want to. But I’m happy here for my daughters. It’s a great environment. I have family around, which I did not have when I was in L.A. More than that, it’s really beautiful. And, really, I’m never going to stop acting. I need, for my psychological health, to keep acting and creating. Otherwise I’ll become a monster.

Click HERE to read part one of our interview with Susan Gibney.

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Why a Forgotten Star Trek TNG Character's Mirror Universe Debut Is Such Big Deal

Dr. Leah Brahams made The Next Generation journey possible in Star Trek and her Mirror Universe counterpart may be an untapped source of genius.

WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Star Trek: The Mirror War #1, available now from IDW.

Star Trek: The Next Generation television series may have ended in 1994 but it remains a hugely popular part of the Star Trek fandom. In IDW's new  Star Trek: The Mirror War comic series, readers are able to beam back aboard USS Enterprise -D with Captain Jean-Luc Picard and his crew. This 2021 comic book series extends the look at a clash between the characters of Next Generation and their Mirror Universe -- parallel and usually evil -- versions of themselves, which is something fans never got to see play out on the television show.

The new series is a continuation of events that took place in IDW's 2017 six-issue series,  Star Trek: The Next Generation: Mirror Broken.   Mirror War   #1, by Scott & David Tipton, Gavin Smith, Charlie Kirchoff and Neil Uyetake, picked up with Lt. Reginald Barclay of the Mirror Universe returning to the alternative ISS Enterprise -D. More of the "evil twin" versions of the Next Generation crew were seen in this issue, including a surprise appearance genius Dr. Leah Brahms.

Related:  Star Trek: Why the Evil Captain Picard Is Starting a Multiverse War

Dr. Brahms was first introduced on Star Trek: The Next Generation in a season three episode called "Booby Trap." This episode found the Enterprise stuck in an energy trap trying to escape while the ship was slowly being drained of all power. Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge searched the ship's records for a way out of the booby trap. In the data files, he found information on Dr. Brahms, who was the designer and engineer of the warp drives on the Enterprise . Using the files, the computer created a holodeck version of Dr. Brahms to hash out the issues with the warp drive. During their intense research and discussions, while under an extreme time crunch to save the ship, La Forge and holodeck Dr. Brahms share a kiss . La Forge figured out they needed to outsmart technology and adjust the warp drive to get out of the trap. He also realized that maybe he should turn off the holodeck program for Dr. Brahms, even though he felt a kinship with her.

The holodeck based Dr. Brahms on all of the information about her it had access to, trying to create the most realistic version possible. However, in season four's episode "Galaxy's Child," La Forge found that the holodeck is not great at re-creating sentient personalities. The real Dr. Brahms came aboard the ship to examine the alterations La Forge had made to her warp engines. La Forge, a fan of Dr. Brahms and hopeful for at least a friendship based on the holodeck encounter, greeted her with excitement on behalf of the crew. The real Dr. Brahms was not as warm and jovial as her computer-created counterpart. La Forge's alterations to the engines upset and dismayed her. He tried to jog her memory of why he made certain alterations before remembering his interactions were not really with her. Although La Forge tried to smooth things over and create a positive working relationship, Dr. Brahms stumbled across her holodeck self and thought La Forge had been unprofessional with a replica of her. Through the episode, the two end up working together to solve another power-related problem and form an actual friendship with each other.

Related:  How Star Trek’s 'The Measure of a Man' Elevates TNG’s Rockier Early Seasons

The Mirror War  created a different story for Dr. Brahms. In the first issue, she was still a doctor but she was now a member of the Mirror Enterprise engineering crew. Yet even in this universe, she has a tie to La Forge. When La Forge gave an important engineering job to Chief O'Brien, Dr. Brahms was upset with him. She insisted to La Forge that she could have used the opportunity to impress the Captain. It is revealed that this version of Dr. Brahms has a habit of being "unreliable and irresponsible" while possibly having a drinking problem. Because Dr. Brahms is part of the crew, she may not have been the one to engineer the warp drives, alluding to doubt that the Enterprise ships are evenly matched. It also sets the scene for Dr. Brahms to be an underdog hero for the Mirror Universe, a source of untapped potential that could help them in the coming war. Or she could sabotage them for treating her unfairly. Either way, Dr. Brahms may be an overlooked character in the Next Generation but she is one to watch in The Mirror War .

Next:  Star Trek: TNG’s Mirror Universe Picard Is More Dangerous Than the Borg

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Meet The Crew Of The USS Resolute On A Mission For Leah Brahms In Preview Of ‘Star Trek: Resurgence’ #1

| November 8, 2022 | By: TrekMovie.com Staff 10 comments so far

This week IDW Publishing kicks off a comic mini-series tied to the upcoming narrative adventure game Star Trek: Resurgence , coming to PC and consoles in April 2023. The game is set in Star Trek: The Next Generation era onboard the USS Resolute. IDW’s five-issue prequel series (also titled Star Trek: Resurgence ) introduces the ship and the game’s main characters, along with some backstory for the game. The game features a few legacy characters and the same is true with the new comic book.

The miniseries is written by lead game writers Andrew Grant and Dan Martin with art by Josh Hood ( Avatar: The Next Shadow ). We have a five-page preview for the first issue which arrives tomorrow.

Star Trek: Resurgence #1 (of 5)

On a windswept planet bordering the notoriously hostile Talarian Republic, a scientist on the cusp of developing technology that will revolutionize warp goes missing. The crew of the U.S.S. Resolute is tasked with an urgent stealth mission to recover Dr. Leah Brahms and keep her research out of enemy hands!

Cover A by Josh Hood

Cover B by Malachi Ward

Retail incentive cover

Five-page preview: 

Resurgence begins on Wednesday

Star Trek: Resurgence #1 is available starting November 9. You can order and pre-order individual copies at TFAW or pick up individual digital editions at Amazon/comiXology .

Keep up with all the Star Trek comics news, previews, and reviews in TrekMovie’s comics category .

We may link to products to buy on Amazon in our articles; these are customized affiliate links that support TrekMovie by earning a small commission when you purchase through them.

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I haven’t been interested in a Trek comic in ages – but I am looking forward to checking this series out. Was bummed when I heard that the game is being delayed a full year, so this will be a nice placeholder.

I’ve only recently been getting into them but I’d totally recommend u check out the new Star Trek flasgship series from IDW. I’m not a super big comic person so I didn’t really know what to expect going in but it was a fun read!

That interior art isn’t very good, but the covers are beautiful.

Why does it look like the stardrive portion of the ship is backwards? Where’s the dish?!

That is how the Centaur always looked.

This is how the ship is supposed to look.

Never heard of the Centaur class until I Google’d after reading comments. I guess it’s primarily in STO. Looks oddly backwards to me, but sure, I can go for it.

There’s a great DS9 episode where Sisko/crew are undercover and encounter a Centaur class ship, Worse yet, he knows the Captain. And Sisko/crew cannot break cover, so both ships must engage one another. The scenes are just a few minutes, but the ship was definitely onscreen.

Yea, the ship itself is based on a kit-bash from DS9, but was one of the primary ships from STO and will be the main ship for the upcoming game this comic is based on.

Such boring art…

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Dr. Leah Brahms

We don't have a biography for Dr. Leah Brahms yet. Hang in there, or go ahead and contribute one.

Appearances

• Episode 3x06: Booby Trap ( Oct 30, 1989 )
• Episode 4x16: Galaxy's Child ( Mar 11, 1991 )

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Recap / Star Trek: The Next Generation S4E16 "Galaxy's Child"

Edit locked.

Original air date: March 11, 1991

Geordi is delighted to welcome starship engine designer Dr. Leah Brahms aboard the Enterprise . He's a big fan, having "collaborated" with a holographic recreation of her back in " Booby Trap ." In spite of Guinan's warnings about being fixated on a fantasy, Geordi is dismayed to find the real Brahms to be curt, cold and highly disapproving of his modifications to her engine designs. Still, Geordi soldiers on, trying to establish friendly relations with the engineer while occasionally creeping her out by his mysteriously comprehensive knowledge about her.

Meanwhile, the Enterprise comes across a starship-sized creature that seems to dwell in space as its natural habitat. Picard is overjoyed to discover a new, exotic lifeform and orders the ship closer to examine it. The space slug is not so enthused to see the Enterprise , however, and attacks. With no other option, Picard orders the ship to fire phasers at their lowest setting, which unfortunately kills the creature. Picard is mortified that his mission of discovery has led to a death.

Brahms finally discovers the records of Geordi's interactions with her holographic alter-ego. Geordi bursts into the holodeck to explain, but it's too late. The horrified Brahms chews him out for using her image as some sort of fantasy girlfriend. Geordi reacts with equal indignation, declaring that his behavior has been entirely justified and that he has only ever tried to be friendly.

While that mess is going on, the bridge has detected that the dead space slug was pregnant, and the offspring is trying to be born. The crew use the ship's phasers to perform the galaxy's first large-scale Caesarian-section. However, the newly born slug immediately imprints on the Enterprise and begins feeding on its energy like it would its mother. They find a nearby asteroid field with minerals that would likely sustain the creature, so they begin shepherding the creature there.

At the asteroid field, however, the creature refuses to detach itself. Worse, it starts summoning other adults of its kind. If the crew can't figure out a way to dislodge the baby slug, they'll be put in a very sticky situation. Geordi and Brahms must put aside their differences and concoct a plan to alter the frequency of the ship's energy, souring the baby slug's "milk." The ploy works. The slug joins its kind, and the ship is free to leave in peace.

Tropes featured in "Galaxy's Child" include:

• Aesop Amnesia : In " Booby Trap ," Geordi learned he was trying too hard in his attempts to woo Christy Henshaw. In " Transfigurations ," he finally gains the confidence to pursue a relationship with Henshaw. In this episode, he slips back into trying too hard, going into intricate detail preparing his dinner date with Brahms. He even thinks of playing a Johannes Brahms song once again, which was something he'd done during his first date with Henshaw. There is, in fact, no mention of Henshaw or what became of their relationship.
• Broken Pedestal : See Whoopi Epiphany Speech .
• Cassandra Truth : Brahms refuses to believe Geordi's reassurances that her holographic counterpart was not created for romantic/sexual reasons.
• Chuck Cunningham Syndrome : Geordi is apparently single again, with no mention at all of his relationship with Christy Henshaw, even though this episode explicitly references the episode that introduced her.
• First-Name Basis : When Picard tells Geordi that Dr. Brahms will be visiting the ship, Geordi remarks, "Leah!" before remembering that he's never actually met the woman.
• Ice Queen : Geordi is shocked to discover that the real Brahms is quite cold. She admits in the end that she's aware of how she comes across, and it's something she's always trying to work on.
• Imprinting : After Worf and Dr. Crusher deliver the space creature's infant by C-section, using the ship's phaser as a scalpel, it starts following the Enterprise , eventually latching on and "nursing" by draining energy from the reactors.
• Letting Her Hair Down : Inverted. The warm and flirty holo-Brahms wears her hair up, while the real, cold Brahms wears long and flowing locks.
• Let's Just Be Friends : Eventual resolution of the Geordi/Brahms plot. Geordi: I should have told you straight out. Brahms: Well, if you had, then I never would have had the chance to see the look on your face when you walked in on me, and me, in the holodeck. Geordi: [laughing] The look on my face? How about the look on your face?
• Loving a Shadow : Deconstructed . This episode shows what happens when the real person gets to see the shadow in question, and the results are not pretty.
• The Missus and the Ex : Geordi has a truly unique case of this—both the Missus and the Ex are the same person: one his holofantasy and the other the real woman.
• Monster Is a Mommy : The space creature didn't want the Enterprise around because it was pregnant .
• My God, What Have I Done? : Picard after unintentionally killing the space creature.
• Non-Malicious Monster : The space creature and its baby.
• Non-Verbal Miscommunication : This is what inadvertently leads the crew to kill the space creature.
• Not What It Looks Like : In the previous episode, Geordi had genuinely not been trying to hook up with holo-Brahms. While he did ask the computer to add elements of her real personality, he didn't choose to simulate her (the computer instead making the decision) and even after developing feelings for her never tried to pursue a romantic/sexual relationship with her. Of course, for Brahms walking in at the end of the show, it looked more like Geordi had intentionally used her image to generate a Brahms love toy.
• Oh, Crap! : Geordi has two in succession, the first when he finds that his crewmember has shown Dr. Brahms the holo-simulation, and the second (even bigger one) when he finds Dr. Brahms already there. His feet momentarily break the other way upon this discovery as if they almost want to say Screw This, I'm Outta Here .
• Other Me Annoys Me : Brahms finds her holographic self from " Booby Trap ," who repeats that episode's closing lines, "Every time you look at this engine, you're looking at me. Every time you touch it, it's me." She feels understandably violated, and at that point, nothing La Forge could say would convince her that he didn't do more than collaborate with her holo-self.
• Phlebotinum Analogy : The Trope Codifier is La Forge and Brahms' "souring the milk" explanation—if the baby creature is "nursing" on the Enterprise , then they need to make the energy it's feeding on unappetizing so it will leave.
• Stalker with a Crush : Brahms thinks Geordi is this after seeing the holodeck recreation of herself.
• Tempting Fate : During his conversation with Guinan at the beginning of the episode, Geordi claims quite confidently that no matter what, the real Leah Brahms and him will at least be good friends upon meeting each other.
• Visual Pun : Geordi considers employing an audio pun for his date with Leah Brahms, having the computer play some Johannes Brahms as mood music. He decides that's too corny and obvious, and changes it.
• Wham Line : Brahms telling Geordi she's actually married.
• Whoopi Epiphany Speech : Guinan's response to how disappointed Geordi is with the real Leah Brahms. Guinan: You had a perfectly wonderful, marvelous little fantasy... until the real Leah showed up and ruined it. Now, she's probably done the most horrific thing one person can do to another—not live up to your expectations. So I'd take a good, long, hard look, La Forge. See her for who she is, not for what you want her to be.
• Star Trek: The Next Generation S4E15 "First Contact"
• Recap/Star Trek: The Next Generation
• Star Trek: The Next Generation S4E17 "Night Terrors"

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Screen Rant

Star trek hints at unsettling reunion for la forge in new miniseries.

Resurgence #1 features a character from an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation who shares an interesting history with Geordi La Forge.

Warning! Spoilers for Star Trek: Resurgence #1 ahead! A new Star Trek miniseries' inclusion of a particular character from Star Trek: The Next Generation presents the perfect opportunity for Commander Geordi La Forge to make a return due to the rather uncomfortable history he shares with her.

In Star Trek: The Next Generation , La Forge once created a hologram of renowned scientist Dr. Leah Brahms in the episode "Booby Trap" to help him solve a challenge since the real Dr. Brahms' expertise in the matter fit perfectly with what needed their attention. Of course, as is the case of every great episode, a romance inevitably ensued between the human and hologram, which would have initially not been a problem if the real Dr. Brahms had never shown up in the later TNG episode "Galaxy's Child" to find La Forge's highly idealized program. Understandably, Dr. Brahms was disturbed by her discovery and viewed La Forge's actions as an invasion of privacy.

Related: Star Trek Turns Picard's Evil Clone into a Huge Missed Opportunity

Dr. Brahms has never really appeared again ( except in Lower Decks ) until now in IDW Publishing's Star Trek: Resurgence #1 by writers Andrew Grant and Dan Martin, artist Josh Hood, colorist Charlie Kirchoff, and letterer Neil Uyetake. Brahms only makes an appearance in the first few pages because the story centers on saving her from a xenophobic species who captured her during a scientific mission. Although Starfleet would obviously like to save her life, what Dr. Brahms was researching at the time of her abduction is a crucial part of Starfleet's rescue mission, as it would be catastrophic if her work fell into her captor's bigoted hands.

Is Dr. Leah Brahms still married?

Even though she and La Forge were able to put their differences aside and even became friends in Star Trek: The Next Generation , a reunion in Resurgence would definitely unearth some of their earlier feelings towards each other. Undoubtedly, part of what played a role in Dr. Brahms' negative reaction towards La Forge's program, aside from the inherent creepiness of the situation, was that she was married at the time, a union that La Forge, of course, wasn't aware of before her arrival on the Enterprise. And in the first pages of the comic, Dr. Brahms' hands are gloved since she's on an icy planet, hiding whether she's still wearing a wedding ring or not. This opens the possibility that she could be single, which would undoubtedly add a fun dynamic to their already highly complex relationship if Geordi La Forge ever does show up .

The fact that Resurgence features a whole new crew means that longtime Star Trek fans would undoubtedly appreciate a cameo from a beloved and recognizable character like La Forge, regardless of his relationship with one of the miniseries' central characters. Even those who aren't necessary fans of La Forge 's character can still enjoy a cameo from him, because who doesn't enjoy a good awkward scene or two in the midst of a Star Trek adventure?

Next: Star Trek: Picard Hints Janeway Will Return in Series Finale

Star Trek: Resurgence #1 is available now from IDW Publishing.

Star Trek: The Next Generation : "Galaxy's Child"/"Night Terrors"

Related content.

"Galaxy's Child"

Or  The One Where I Get Uncomfortable

Geordi La Forge is very excited. Dr. Leah Brahms is coming on board the  Enterprise  to personally study the alterations the Chief Engineer has made to the ship's engines, and even though Geordi has never met Dr. Brahms in person, he's positive they're going to be the best of friends. See, he has a special connection with the good doctor. Back in  TNG 's third season, the  Enterprise 's computer created a holographic version of Brahms to help Geordi solve a crisis, and that holographic representation just happened to be a bit on the flirty side. It gave Geordi a new self-confidence, and while one would think that increased esteem would've helped his love life, apparently such is not the case, because now he's super stoked to meet Brahms, and he's convinced they're going to hit it off wonderfully. Oh sure, he says he's just looking to be "friends," but that's just something you say when you're going out of your mind. He's convinced this is true love. All she has to be is exactly what he needs.

"Galaxy's Child" is going to be a tricky episode for me to review. We all have our blind spots; we all have our red flags. Most times, I'm sure I'm not even aware of mine. But a storyline like this is different, because it hits me in a personal way that makes it difficult for me to balance the episode's flaws and strengths against my own vulnerabilities. I'm pretty sure this isn't a classic; I'm also pretty sure that it has some serious problems, and that these problems connect back to some larger concerns I have with the show as a whole. But I also suspect that my intense discomfort for much of the episode is unique to me. While it's true that, specifically speaking, all my reactions are uniquely mine, their intensity here served to unbalance my perception of the entirety of "Child." Or, to put it plainly, I was too busy cringing most of the time to keep both eyes on the screen.

A bit of personal history, then, if you'll indulge me, and I promise it's relevant to the issue at hand. In college, I fell in love with a girl. Let's call her Matilda, because that was really not her name. Matilda was very pretty and very nice, and we did some acting classes together; I was overweight (I looked a bit like a young Philip Seymour Hoffman), but I was very confident when it came to acting, so we became decent friends. At some point, I developed a crush, which was fine. Crushes aren't really fun, but they are generally containable. In my experience, I'd pine for a while, and do some mild obsessing, but it would never go farther than that.

Cut to a year later. I've never really understood how it happened, but through a combination of depression and coincidence, I decided I was in love with Matilda. I can even remember the exact moment; walking from the common room of the suite I lived in with my friends, and thinking, "I'm in love with her. I really am in love with her," and that was pretty much the end of me. Winter break followed soon after, and I spent the whole time trying to understand what was going on, going utterly out of my mind, half blissful, half terrified. Then I come back to school, I find out Matilda has broken up with her boyfriend, and I decide this is a sign. It has to be a sign, right? We go see a movie together ( American Beauty ), and I probably should have known I was off the track when I made to pay her way, and she got uncomfortable. But, like I said, out of my mind. After the movie, I told her I thought we should go out, and she started crying.

Gah, this is taking too long; and besides, none of that is all that unusual. What happened next, though, is something that still terrifies me. Because Matilda said she wasn't interested in me, and I got really sad and scared for a while, and then I decided that, okay, maybe she just wasn't  ready , y'know? Maybe she just needed space after the break-up. What I felt was so strong, so real, there's no way she couldn't return my feelings, and if I was just patient and respectful, eventually, everything would turn out okay. Which doesn't sound so bad, saying it like that, but it's horrifying to realize you can be so thoroughly misled by your emotions, that my perception of events was so clouded by what I thought I needed, I believed in a false reality for five whole months. It worked out all right in the end. I'm not really the stalking type, so I mostly just broke off contact with Matilda, and then, one day, I came to my senses. But it's still one of the worst times in my life.

So who cares, everybody's got a crappy story like that. Geordi's crush on Brahms is less about misreading obvious signs (although he does do that), and more about assuming a connection where none exists. But then, that's basically what I did with poor Matilda. In my head, we were soul mates, and all information I received was interpreted with that conviction firmly in view. Geordi isn't quite that far gone, but he's certain that he and Brahms are well-matched, even after she's initially cold to him and unhappy with the changes he's made to "her" engines. His smarmy chumminess, the way he keeps using her first name, his petulant frustration that she isn't behaving like he assumed she would, all of this is almost unbearable for me to watch. While I suspect other people may feel the same, this is one of the rare cases when I'm nearly certain my reaction is more intense than most. Like, that dinner date he sets up? Ugh. I watched much of that scene on mute. There were subtitles, but that was as far as I was willing to go. And then, when Brahms finally sees her computer-created doppelganger, well, for a few seconds, I was expecting Geordi was going to have to find a way to hide a body very quickly.

The primary issue here, whatever effect my past may have on my current judgment, is that we should be sympathetic to Geordi's mistakes here, and I don't think we're given good reason to be. It's obviously sad what happens to him, but he keeps walking into his own trap over and over again. If Brahms had been warmer and if Geordi had been more reserved in his expectations, "Child" could have effectively made its point about the dangers of forming attachments to fantasy without alienating us from its hero. But he's just too stupid for words, and that's something that comes up a lot on  TNG  and not just with Geordi. There's a weird sense of childishness that runs through the cast whenever the writers decide they want to impart a moral lesson. When I went kind of crazy, I was still in college and not quite into my twenties. Geordi is, what, late twenties, early thirties? He's been on the  Enterprise  for a few years now; he's had dates. And yet it doesn't even occur to him that Brahms might not be what he's expecting. This is the behavior of someone who's painfully inexperienced in dealing with human beings, and while I buy that Geordi is a dork, I don't buy that he's an idiot. It's hard to feel very sorry for him, because he doesn't even try to respect Brahms' wishes until he has no other choice.

Or maybe that's just me; maybe I relate too closely to his circumstance not to despise him a little for it, in the way I can't help despising myself a little when I remember the past. Still, the Geordi/Brahms interactions would have worked better if they'd been handled with greater subtlety. I'm not sure I buy that she'd be so willing to be pals after everything was over. I can see her not hating him, and I can see her getting over her discomfort, but the brief moment of chemistry they have at the end, before her husband calls and ruins everything? Eh, I dunno.

There was a whole other plotline here, and, thank god, this one doesn't bring up any bad memories. The  Enterprise  is forced to kill a living ship, which distresses Picard to no end. Thankfully, the dead living ship was pregnant, and, with the help of some deft phaser work, the  Enterprise  helps set the baby free. Less good, the baby mistakes the  Enterprise  for its mother, latching on to the ship's hull and draining its power reserves for sustenance. It's a clever story made all the more effective by the sincerity of Picard's distress. He's not just disappointed when they accidentally kill the living ship, he's  devastated , and his commitment to the ideals of exploration and the preservation of life gives a weight to what happens here.  TOS  was all about survival in the explored reaches of space, but  TNG  is more concerned with the ideals that make survival worthwhile.

So that's nice. Still, I can't get past the other part of the storyline, for reasons which should be clear now. Credit where it's due: The idea of Geordi meeting Brahms in the flesh is a good one, and it's completely believable that their meeting wouldn't go entirely as he planned. But the execution left a lot to be desired.

Stray Observations:

• Guinan: "You saw exactly what you wanted to see on the holodeck." Which is basically what the holodeck is  for . Can you imagine how creepy it would be for a movie star in the age of holographic simulation? Every fan would have an extensive personal relationship with their fantasy of you, one that had been repeatedly reinforced by a completely lifelike version of yourself who always said whatever they wanted to hear.
• I'm sure Geordi is supposed to come off as misguided here, but my problem is, as with "The Loss," the deconstruction of his character goes too far for me. I actively disliked him for three-quarters of the episode, and I don't think  TNG  is a show that can really support that level of antipathy.

"Night Terrors"

Or  The One With Snakes, Why'd It Have To Be Snakes?

Night terrors, eh? Once again, I must apologize, as I have suffered from night terrors in the past, and this great and tragic suffering of mine makes impossible for me to adequately judge the sight of Riker hallucinating a bed full of snakes. Or Picard hearing his door buzzing repeatedly. Or Chief O'Brien thinking his wife is cheating on him. I've lived too closely all these horrors, and as such, cannot comment upon them, but merely bask in their ugliness. Bask, I tells yah. Just…  bask .

Actually, I really have had night terrors before, but this is less an episode about a familiar real-world phenomenon than it is one that gives writers an excuse to throw out some random scary scenes and then wave them all away with zero consequences. For whatever its faults, "Galaxy's Child" at least told a story that related directly to the crew of the  Enterprise.  The conflict with the living spaceship required Picard and his bridge crew's commitment to the sanctity of life to be suspenseful (otherwise they could've just blasted the alien and gone about their merry way), and, of course, Geordi's troubled relationship with the object of his assumptions was a very personal plotline. That's not really the case in "Terrors." Troi's Betazoid abilities are important, and Data's invulnerability to problems that affect other humanoids probably saves the life of everyone on board, but overall, this is a sort of "could happen to anyone" story, and that makes it somewhat less thrilling.

Still, it starts off well enough. The  Enterprise  comes across the  USS Britain , a ship that's been marked missing in Starfleet records, in deep space. Troi senses something is wrong and accompanies Riker and the away team when they beam over to the ship. They find a lot of bad news: bodies everywhere, murdered in surprisingly gory ways, and one near comatose Betazoid. The Betazoid appears physically unharmed but scared out of his mind and unable to explain exactly what killed everyone on board the  Britain . Beverly gets to work on some autopsies, Troi tries to communicate with her fellow empath, but while the causes of the catastrophe are unclear, the danger to the  Enterprise  is not; the ship is trapped in a kind of energy vortex, and soon, everyone on board starts losing their focus, growing more irritable and experiencing waking nightmares.

That's a classic  Trek  premise right there: random space thingie threatens the lives of our heroes and makes them vulnerable in ways that can't be defeated by phaser fire or negotiation. And "Terrors" does an excellent job of conveying the mind-numbing unpleasantness of insomnia. The transition from normalcy to exhaustion is done with a gratifying amount of… well, subtlety isn't exactly the right word, but the changeover happens quickly, and there's not a lot of hand-holding to make sure we know that the beeping door in Picard's office or O'Brien's paranoia about his wife's fidelity are indicators of degraded mental states. Patrick Stewart, in particular, looks utterly wretched by the end of the episode, a small, defeated man who mostly seems held together by the uniform he's wearing. A few missteps aside (snakes? really?), the night terror sequences themselves are effectively creepy. I especially liked Beverly's morgue freak-out; it reminded me a bit of  Re-Animator , which is a good thing.

But then, I don't think we've ever seen that morgue before. That's not hugely odd; the  Enterprise  doesn't generally run into situations that require storage space for a whole roomful of bodies. Still, in creating a new space to show how the lack of REM sleep affects the good doctor, the episode demonstrates one of its fundamental problems. The "night terrors" would be an excellent way to get into the heads of the main cast, to expose them in ways that their professionalism and competence normally leave hidden. Instead, we just get a lot of disappointingly generic scary sequences, which have less to do with the individual than they do with freaking out the audience. O'Brien's paranoia isn't brilliant (it's odd how the show considers him and Keiko familiar enough to keep returning to), but it's at least a problem that's directly connected to what we know about him.

It's just too bad we don't see that intimacy with the rest of the crew. Picard is bothered by a doorbell that won't stop ringing, and by the lights in the elevator. I liked the doorbell bit well enough. It walks a neat line between irritating and unsettling. But surely, given Picard's rich history on the show, we could've found something more interesting to get under his skin than "Ugh, the ceiling is too bright!" Beverly's encounter with corpse sit-ups is connected to her only in the sense that, as a doctor, she's around corpses from time to time. And with Riker, we get a bed full of snakes. Really? Unless he turned into Indiana Jones when I wasn't looking, I don't see how that's relevant. Admittedly, an episode in which each character suffered from their greatest fear has the potential of being awful enough in its own way, translating complicated worries and paranoia into simplistic fantasy. But at least those fantasies would be distinct. Too much of "Night Terrors" could've been done on any other genre show without a lot of script edits.

It turns out that a ship trapped on the other side of the space anomaly that sucked in the  Enterprise —it's called a "Tyken's Rift," if you're curious—is sending out telepathic messages that make nearly everyone on board the  Enterprise  (and the  Britain  before it) incapable of REM sleep. Hence the exhaustion and the hallucinations. But this effect isn't being done to cause harm; the other ship is just trying to communicate a way in which it and our heroes can work together to escape the Rift, as neither ship can do so under its own power. It's just too bad the messages have the inadvertent effect of driving people crazy. Betazoids can interpret the signals the phantom ship is sending, although this didn't help the Betazoid that Troi finds on the  Britain ; either he was unable to interpret what was happening, or his pure-Betazoid genetics made the message too powerful for him to handle. Whatever the reason, Troi herself, with Beverly's help (I like how the two of them occasionally team up) has to find some way of using her dreams to effectively communicate with the aliens, or else everybody on both ships is doomed.

Oh hey, in all my complaining, I forgot there was another character whose woes in "Terrors" are specific to himself: Worf! We don't actually see any of his hallucinations, but we do see how his growing fear and loss of self-control nearly drive him to suicide. So that's pretty cool. And Guinan has an absolutely ridiculous gun that she busts out to keep the peace in Ten-Forward, and there's definitely entertainment value in that. The final sequence, with Troi desperately trying to send the right message in her sleep while Data essentially runs the entire ship, is thrilling, even if it does follow the model of most climaxes on the show with lots of desperate cutting back and forth, and it looks like everything is lost riiiiight up till the moment when it isn't. (Which is, admittedly, the climax to roughly two-thirds of genre series episode ever produced. I just mention it here because it's somewhat similar to the end of "Galaxy's Child.") And it's neat how Data's invulnerability here works in the  Enterprise 's favor, where last week it nearly got everyone on board killed.

Overall, this was entertaining, and enjoyably well-paced. It just feels a little too bloodless, even with those mutilated corpses at the beginning. This is the same style of episode as "Clues," in a way, because the problems here are nearly entirely external. No one needs to learn any valuable lessons about themselves, and nobody's short-sightedness is to blame for what happens. I think I enjoyed "Clues" a little more, because I dig the weirdness of intentionally erasing a chunk of your memory, and I love the idea of episodes that give us knowledge about our heroes that our heroes will never have for themselves. "Terrors" was arguably more intense, and the sense of otherness in the aliens was more interesting (although again, Troi gets zapped), but it lacked that mild twist at the end to make it memorable. This kind of episode is really the meat-and-potatoes of this sort of show, so it's impressive to realize that  TNG  has gotten to the point where delivering the expected is no longer entirely satisfactory. Given how rich a galaxy the show has built for itself, why should we waste so much time on aliens who can't be bothered to have personalities?

• "There's no technology to block telepathic communications." You'd think there would be, though. Given that this is a reality in which telepathy is a proven fact, you'd think that governments would've funneled crazy amounts of resources into finding a way to keep their secrets secret. I mean, Utopian or no, there are still occasional wars.
• You go to hell, Tom Corbin. You go to hell and you  die .

Next week:  We suffer through an "Identity Crisis," and Barcley's return in "The Nth Degree."

Galaxy's Child (episode)

• View history
• 1.2 Act One
• 1.3 Act Two
• 1.4 Act Three
• 1.5 Act Four
• 1.6 Act Five
• 1.7 Log entries
• 2 Memorable quotes
• 3.1 Production history
• 3.2 Story and script
• 3.3 Production
• 3.4 Continuity
• 3.5 Reception
• 3.6 Video and DVD releases
• 4.1 Starring
• 4.2 Also starring
• 4.3 Guest stars
• 4.4 Special guest star
• 4.5 Co-star
• 4.6 Uncredited co-stars
• 4.7 Stand-ins and photo doubles
• 4.8.1 Other references
• 4.8.2 Unused production references
• 4.9 External links

Summary [ ]

The USS Enterprise -D is en route to Starbase 313 in order to pick up some equipment to transport to the Guernica system. Captain Picard informs Geordi La Forge that Dr. Leah Brahms will be coming on board at the starbase , to study the engine modifications La Forge has made. Dr. Brahms was responsible for most of the engine design on the Enterprise when the ship was constructed at Utopia Planitia , La Forge previously met Dr. Brahms in a holodeck simulation, in order to get the ship out of trouble, and had a romantic experience with the computer-simulated engineer.

Picard asks La Forge to greet the Doctor on the Enterprise 's behalf, La Forge is more than happy, convinced that he and the "real" Brahms will be good friends. Later, in talking to Guinan in Ten Forward , he insists that he is not expecting anything more than friendship from Brahms.

But once Ensign Hubbell beams Dr. Brahms aboard, she skips the greeting and immediately insults La Forge by accusing him of having " fouled up [her] engine designs. "

Act One [ ]

La Forge takes Dr. Brahms through engineering as she proceeds to remark on his extensive engine modifications including the matter / antimatter ratio , magnetic plasma transfer , and a completely new swap-out schedule for replacement of main components. She calls them "not per regulations" but La Forge explains that they were necessary from experience, the classic tug-of-war between theory and application.

On the bridge , Data informs Riker that the sensors are picking up some strange readings in the nearby Alpha Omicron system , which was then still unexplored by Starfleet . Riker decides that they should investigate, since " we're way ahead of schedule. "

Back down in engineering, La Forge tries to get along with Dr. Brahms, reminding her that " There is no reason for us to argue, we're on the same side here. " To reach a better understanding, he proposes " Why don't I take you on a little tour, show you the adjustments I made, why I think they work and we can begin pulling together on this? " La Forge then shuts down the warp core in order to show the dilithium chamber to Brahms. She immediately notices the dilithium crystal 's orientation is different than originally designed. La Forge accidentally reminds her why, but that was her hologram a year ago , and goes into the full explanation. He doesn't claim the full credit for the idea, but doesn't go further than that. La Forge then suggests that the two meet later in order to " plan out our agenda for the next day or two. " Brahms agrees to meet with La Forge in his quarters at 1900 hours, maybe to have a bite to eat – he claims that he can make a great fungilli . Brahms tells that she loves fungilli and smiles for the first time since she has arrived on the ship .

The Enterprise -D then arrives at the Alpha Omicron System and the crew are starting to investigate the source of the strange energy readings the ship's sensors previously picked up. They learn that a lifeform is orbiting the seventh planet of the system. A lifeform, that is, as Picard tells Counselor Troi , " just to live between the stars, and have the entire galaxy as a home. " While the ship analyzes the lifeform, it probes the ship, suddenly starts to attack it, and captures it in " an energy damping field. " All of the crew's attempts to free themselves fail, and then the computer announces: " Radiation levels at three hundred millirads per minute and rising. Lethal exposure in one minute. " Forced to act quickly, Picard orders phasers be fired at the creature , and adds that Worf fire them at minimum power. But even at minimum power, the phaser fire is strong enough to kill the creature, and ruin Picard's efforts to initiate peaceful relations with a new species.

Act Two [ ]

Picard sits motionless in his chair and is stunned beyond belief at what he has just done. Troi tries to reassure the captain that his actions were consistent with established Starfleet procedures regarding first contact , but Picard wants to retreat to his ready room , as Data starts picking up some energy reading from the lifeform – a reading which may suggest that the creature is still alive.

Meanwhile, La Forge goes into great efforts to prepare himself and his quarters for Brahms' arrival – he struggles to teach the computer what a "cozy" light intensity is, tries to choose a good ambient music and gets into casual wear, since " uniforms are so formal. " Brahms arrives on time, they sit at La Forge's table and start to talk. She admits, that she is often very possessive about her engine designs – " … it's like … they are your children. " She tells that she doesn't want to be that way but sometimes she simply feels better with engine schematics than with people. La Forge understands, and Brahms also sympathizes with him. When La Forge tries to continue and get dinner, she cuts him off and tells him that she doesn't think it would be appropriate if she stayed – and abruptly leaves.

Back on the bridge, Data, Riker, and Picard analyze the new energy reading from the body of the creature, and conclude that it is a second lifeform – a child . Picard states that it was no wonder that the parent lifeform attacked the ship because " it was about to give birth. "

Act Three [ ]

Worf, Dr. Crusher , Troi, Riker, and Picard meet in the observation lounge to discuss what to do next. Dr. Crusher suggests, that the child may not be able to free itself from the body of the parent being. Riker then proposes using the ship's phasers as a scalpel to perform a Caesarean section . Worf advises against this, claiming that the child may be a threat to the ship, just as the parent was earlier. Picard agrees, but reminds him that they have accidentally killed the parent, and so they are now responsible for the survival of the child.

The next morning in engineering, Brahms and La Forge go through a list of discrepancies which Brahms has found in the engine modifications. They crawl into some Jefferies tubes in order to inspect the power transfer conduits . Brahms quickly notices that the sound of the engines is not correct, and La Forge shows her the cause: he has added a so-called mid-range phase adjuster . Brahms is quite overwhelmed by this technical refinement and tells La Forge that he should write a scientific paper on it, as she feels that this improvement should be shared. La Forge refuses and claims that he isn't good at writing. Instead, he proposes, that " we could collaborate. Writing is one of your strong points. " When Brahms hears that, it's the last straw in a series of familiar comments he has made. She directly asks him how he knows her so well. He lies, and claims that he admired her work and so he studied her for years and is a great fan of her – and wanted to meet her a long time ago. Brahms realizes that La Forge is seriously interested in her, and tells him that he should know that she is married – one fact about her of which La Forge had not been aware.

Later, in Ten Forward, a depressed La Forge plays a game of chess with Guinan, and speaks his mind while resting his chin in his hands. He says that he is quite disappointed in the 'real' Leah Brahms, as the holographic simulation of her was so very different, saying to Guinan that the real Brahms is as friendly as a Circassian plague cat . Guinan points out that the computer may have been able to give the holo-Brahms personality from her Starfleet records, but when it came to the relationship, " you filled in the blanks. And you had a perfectly wonderful, marvelous little fantasy. " She advises him that he should take a good look at her, and see for who she really is, and not for what he may want her to be.

Junior on the Enterprise

On the bridge, the crew performs the procedure, and place an incision in the dead body of the parent, clearing the way for the child creature. This creature then makes its way out of the body, and the captain is very relieved. The crew make sure that the child being is okay, and then set to resume their course to Starbase 313. Riker suggests, that " it might be wise to put some distance between us before we go to warp. " Picard agrees and orders the ship to be moved away from the newborn at a gentle velocity. The newborn, however, starts to follow the ship. Troi reveals that it now thinks that the Enterprise is its mother. Ensign Rager increases the ship's speed, but the creature just won't let go and matches the ship's velocity. Ultimately, it attaches itself to the primary hull of the Enterprise and starts draining the ship's power directly from the fusion reactors. Again, Troi has the answer: " It's feeding off the energy from the Enterprise as it would from its mother. " Picard decides that they should not try and remove the child from the hull by force.

Act Four [ ]

" Sir, is the appellation "Junior" to be the lifeform's official name? "

In the observation lounge, the crew discuss what action to take. Data states that he may be able to extrapolate the destination of the parent being – Dr. Crusher claims that " perhaps it was on its way to provide a safe and supportive environment to its newborn. " The captain decides to head for this destination, and to leave the child alone there. Dr. Brahms, who is part of the discussion, suggests that Junior could be removed from the hull by opening the door to shuttle bay two. The pressure from inside the bay might push the child away from the hull, as it is nearly completely covering the bay door. The captain agrees to this plan.

On their way to engineering, La Forge and Dr. Brahms discuss how they could fit the engines for continually rising demands of power of the child lifeform. Dr. Brahms asks La Forge whether there is a complete list of the modifications he has made. Captain Picard then summons La Forge to the bridge. La Forge asks Dr. Brahms to proceed to engineering alone, and tells her that Ensign Pavlik can show her the computer file which contains the list with the engine modifications. There she discovers the holographic simulation in which La Forge met her for the first time – and proceeds to Holodeck 3 to observe it.

When La Forge returns to engineering and Pavlik tells him that Dr. Brahms has gone to the holodeck, he immediately runs away to intercept her. He arrives too late, and Dr. Brahms has already watched most of the program. She is outraged by what she has seen and shouts angrily at La Forge. He claims that nothing intimate happened and insists that it was just a professional collaboration. Ultimately, he lets loose and tells Dr. Brahms what he really thinks about her: " Alright, look – ever since you came on board you've been badgering me – and I've taken it! I've shown you courtesy, respect, and a hell of a lot of patience. " He says angrily that he regrets having offered her his friendship, and leaves the puzzled Dr. Brahms alone in the holodeck.

Meanwhile on the bridge, Data has managed to determine the destination of the parent being, an asteroid belt. Picard immediately orders Rager to take them there. Upon their arrival, Data suggests that some chemical compounds in the asteroid field may provide sustenance for this lifeform and that the child would have a good supply of food there. Now in Shuttlebay 2 , La Forge opens the external door and deactivates the atmospheric force field – but this does not make the child detach itself off of the hull. Instead, it increases its power drain and starts emitting radio transmissions, possibly an attempt at communicating. Riker orders main power to be shut down to compensate for the increasing power drain of the child, and an emergency level 7 . Three other creatures in the asteroid belt immediately head for the Enterprise – leaving some ten minutes until intercept.

Act Five [ ]

Down in engineering, the crew is desperate to find a way to get the child creature to detach itself off of the ship's hull. Dr. Brahms shows up, and tells La Forge that she has an idea. She suggests that they need to look for a way to " sour the milk. " However, since the ship is already running on auxiliary power only, this plan seems impossible to accomplish at first. But then La Forge has an idea and suggests adding " vinegar " to the baby's milk. Since all matter in space vibrates in a 21 centimeter radiation band, he suggests that they could try and " alter the power frequency so that it's completely foreign to the baby's natural vibrations. " Dr. Brahms agrees and La Forge informs the bridge that he and Dr. Brahms together have a plan.

They make the necessary preparations and implement the plan. Dr. Brahms lowers the wavelength down to 2 cm, but the lifeform's power drain is unaffected. After taking the wavelength down to 0.2 cm, the creature begins to drain more and more power, and notifies the other creatures, which immediately accelerate their approach and prepare to attack the Enterprise. However, when Dr. Brahms lowers the wavelength even further to 0.02 cm, the child disengages and is welcomed by the other creatures, which cease their plans to attack the ship. Riker orders main power to be restored and the ship piloted away. Picard then compliments La Forge and Brahms for having "weaned the baby." Down in engineering, the two look at each other and congratulate each other for their cooperation.

Having struck up an authentic friendship, Brahms and La Forge share a drink in Ten Forward, laugh and speak their minds, La Forge noting that " the computer is notorious for not volunteering information! " She apologizes for being so impolite, saying, " I wouldn't change a thing. Except for the way I behaved. " He apologizes for having lied to her and admits that he's glad " to know you. The real you. " They agree to remain friends. A message from her husband then summons Dr. Brahms and she walks out of Ten Forward while La Forge sits alone, looking out into space from Ten Forward's large viewport .

Log entries [ ]

• Captain's log, USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D), 2367

Memorable quotes [ ]

" I'm Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge, chief engineer. " " La Forge… so you're the one who's fouled up my engine designs. "

" Computer, subdued light. " (the lights go completely out) (laughs) " No, that's too much. I don't want it dark, I want it cozy. " " Please state your request in precise candlepower . " " See, it's not a matter of precision, Computer, it's a matter of mood. Brighter than this. "

" We're out here to explore, to make contact with other lifeforms, to establish peaceful relations but not to interfere… and absolutely not to destroy. And yet, look at what we have just done. "

" Sometimes, I feel more comfortable with engine schematics than people. " " Well, maybe you just haven't met the right… people. "

" No wonder it attacked us… it was about to give birth. "

" The acoustic signature doesn't sound right. " " You're probably the only other person in the galaxy who could pick that up. "

" Commander La Forge, ever since I came on board … there seems to be something a little … peculiar about your attitude. You seem to know things about me … even though we've never met. "

" Come on. You can do it! "

" Captain, I'd like to announce the birth of a large baby … something. "

" She's probably done the most horrific thing one person can do to another: not live up to your expectations. "

" Take a hard look through your VISOR , La Forge… see her for who she really is… not what you want her to be. "

" It thinks the Enterprise is its mother. "

" Sir. Is the appellation 'Junior' to be the lifeform's official name? " " No, it is not! "

" Mr. La Forge, Dr. Brahms, congratulations. You've weaned the baby. "

" Captain, the creatures are accelerating their approach. They are changing color! "

Background information [ ]

Production history [ ].

• Revised final draft script: 10 December 1990 [1]
• Filmed: 13 December 1990 – 21 December 1990
• Storyboards by Dan Curry : 11 January 1991
• More storyboards by Curry: 21 January 1991
• Premiere airdate: 11 March 1991
• First UK airdate: 5 October 1994

Story and script [ ]

• Michael Piller commented, " I always felt that the idea of having reality versus fantasy was an interesting theme to explore and the Leah Brahms character allowed us to do that in this episode. This to me was one of the best concepts we had all year. " He added, " I just thought the idea of an alien creature adopting the Enterprise as its mother is something you can't do on any other show. " ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 217)
• Maurice Hurley 's teleplay received an uncredited polish from Jeri Taylor (on the La Forge-Brahms plot) and Ronald D. Moore (regarding "Junior"). ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion  (2nd ed., p. 157))
• The episode's title has a double meaning: The USS Enterprise -D is a Galaxy -class ship and the creature thinks the Enterprise is its mother after being born when its real mother dies, so the creature is "Galaxy's child".

Production [ ]

Dan Curry with the junior mold

A concept sketch for junior

• "Galaxy's Child" was filmed between Thursday 13 December 1990 and Friday 21 December 1990 on Paramount Stage 8 , 9 , and 16 . It was the last episode filmed in 1990 and the final call sheet features the note " Have a Happy & Safe Holiday!!! Company to resume filming Monday, 7 January 1991 7:00 a.m. Stage 9. "
• A deleted scene features Captain Jean-Luc Picard and Worf reciting a nursery rhyme. [2]
• The spaceborne species seen in this episode was represented by a fiberglass model built by Tony Meininger and a CG model created by Rhythm & Hues . ( Star Trek: The Next Generation 365 , p. 193)
• Parts of Drafting Room 5 as first seen in " Booby Trap " were recreated for this episode. The set is a modification of the bridge of the USS Enterprise as it appeared in the first three movies. The set is not an exact replica however, as several viewscreens and LCARS monitors appear at different places or are missing.

Continuity [ ]

• Dr. Leah Brahms (and La Forge's infatuation with her) reappear from the episode " Booby Trap ".
• La Forge mentions that writing isn't his strong suit. However, in an alternate timeline , he becomes quite the proficient novelist, as mentioned in " All Good Things... ".
• Jana Marie Hupp ( Pavlik ) later played another Enterprise -D officer, the ill-fated Lieutenant Monroe , in the fifth season episode " Disaster ".
• La Forge tells Montgomery Scott the story of this episode as an anecdote in the season 6 episode " Relics ".
• Before finding the holodeck program, Leah Brahms reviews an engineering log of modifications made to the ship by La Forge. The last entry on the list which is only seen very briefly is "Tonight on HBO". This engineering log is unlike any other LCARS screen seen in the different series. It is green and features a completely different font.
• This is the first appearance of the Jefferies tubes as they would appear throughout the run of the series and on other starships of the 24th century . Jefferies tubes appeared before, in " The Hunted ", but looked completely different.
• Footage of the Alpha Omicron asteroid belt was later reused for the Pelloris and Devolin asteroid fields .

Reception [ ]

• Rick Berman remarked, " They're two great stories. First, that of the fantasy woman Geordi thinks he's met, but didn't, and now he actually has to meet her; and the simultaneous story of the space baby latching onto the ship. They were two very nice stories that worked well together. " ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , pp. 216-217)
• Director Winrich Kolbe remarked, " LeVar Burton […] did good work in that, and I have to say I like that show. " ( The Official Star Trek: The Next Generation Magazine  issue 21 , p. 31)
• In contrast, writer Keith R.A. DeCandido wrote a scathing review of this episode, suggesting, " They've turned La Forge into an unrepentant virtual rapist, " and called the episode "morally reprehensible," believing the episode rewarded La Forge for his actions and attitude. [3]
• A mission report for this episode, by Patrick Daniel O'Neill, was published in The Official Star Trek: The Next Generation Magazine  issue 16 , pp. 37-40.

Video and DVD releases [ ]

• Original UK VHS release (two-episode tapes, CIC Video ): Volume 45, 6 April 1992
• UK re-release (three-episode tapes, Paramount Home Entertainment ): Volume 4.5, 6 August 2001
• As part of the TNG Season 4 DVD collection

Links and references [ ]

Starring [ ].

• Patrick Stewart as Capt. Jean-Luc Picard
• Jonathan Frakes as Cmdr. William Riker

Also starring [ ]

• LeVar Burton as Lt. Cmdr. Geordi La Forge
• Michael Dorn as Lieutenant Worf
• Gates McFadden as Dr. Beverly Crusher
• Marina Sirtis as Counselor Deanna Troi
• Brent Spiner as Lt. Commander Data

Guest stars [ ]

• Susan Gibney as Leah Brahms
• Lanei Chapman as Sariel Rager
• Jana Marie Hupp as Pavlik

Special guest star [ ]

• Whoopi Goldberg as Guinan

Co-star [ ]

• April Grace as Transporter Technician

Uncredited co-stars [ ]

• David Keith Anderson as Armstrong
• Anthony as Ten Forward waiter
• Majel Barrett as USS Enterprise -D computer voice
• Karin Baxter as operations division ensign
• Debbie David as Russell
• Cooper as Reel
• Gerard David as operations division ensign
• Denise Deuschle as science division officer
• Elliot Durant III as operations division ensign
• A. Flores as science division officer
• Keith Gearhart as science division officer
• Michele Gerren as science division officer
• Kim as operations division officer
• Mark Lentry as civilian
• Teri Noel as operations division officer
• Randy Pflug as Jones
• Keith Rayve as operations division officer
• Denise Lynne Roberts as Patti
• Joycelyn Robinson as Gates
• Richard Sarstedt as command division officer
• Georgina Shore as Van Mayter
• Noriko Suzuki as operations division ensign
• Talbot as Ten Forward waitress
• Guy Vardaman as Darien Wallace
• James Washington as command division officer
• Natalie Wood as Bailey
• Harry Young as science division officer
• Female com officer (voice)
• Female science division officer
• Three civilian women

Stand-ins and photo doubles [ ]

• David Keith Anderson – stand-in for LeVar Burton
• Brett – stand-in for LeVar Burton
• Candace Crump – stand-in for Whoopi Goldberg
• Griffin – photo double for Susan Gibney
• Nora Leonhardt – stand-in for Marina Sirtis , Susan Gibney and Jana Marie Hupp
• Tim McCormack – stand-in for Brent Spiner
• Lorine Mendell – stand-in for Gates McFadden and Susan Gibney
• Joycelyn Robinson – stand-in for April Grace and Lanei Chapman
• Richard Sarstedt – stand-in for Jonathan Frakes
• Dennis Tracy – stand-in for Patrick Stewart
• James Washington – stand-in for Michael Dorn

References [ ]

2366 ; acceleration ; accusation ; actinide ; acoustic signature ; adult ; aft thruster ; Alpha Omicron VII ; Alpha Omicron asteroid belt ; Alpha Omicron system ; analysis ; anomaly ; antimatter ; apology ; appellation ; application ; asteroid ; asteroid belt ; atmospheric force field ; attention ; attitude ; auto-shutdown ; auxiliary generator ; auxiliary power ; baby ( newborn ); balance ; bearing ; bio-function ; birth ; body ; booby trap ; Brahms, Johannes ; Bussard collector ; Caesarean section ; candlepower ; carbonaceous chondrite ; centimeter ; children ( offspring ); Circassian plague cat ; classical guitar ; collaboration ; color ; computer ; computer glitch ; conviction ; course ; courtesy ; creature ; crime ; crisis situation ; criticism ; cubic meter ; damage ; dampening field ; day ; death ; deck ; defense ; degauss ; degree ; designer ; destination ; dilithium ; dilithium chamber ; dilithium articulation frame ; dinner ; distance ; door ; dozen ; Drafting Room 5 ; dream ; efficiency ; emergency level-7 ; emergency generator ; energy ; energy consumption ; energy damping field ; energy output ; energy pattern ; energy storage ; energy system ; engineering log ; entity ; étude ; evasive maneuvers ; existence ; experience ; face ; fact ; Federation ; field density ; file ; " filled in the blanks "; flattery ; " fly by the seat of our pants "; force field ; friend ; friendship ; fungilli ; fusion reactors ; Galaxy -class ; gamma particle ; generator console ; Guernica system ; Guernica system outpost ; guest ; guilty ; hair ; heading ; holodeck three ; hologram ; holo-program ; home ; hour ; hull ; humor ; hundred ; idea ; image ; imprinting ; impulse engine ; incision ; inertial distortion ; information ; interlink ; ionizing radiation ; Jefferies tube ; journey ; Junior ; Junior's mother ; Junior's species ; Junior's species adults ; kefnium ; kilometer ; kph ; level 5 probe ; lifeform ; life support ; light year ; lighting ; list ; magnetic containment field ; magnetic plasma transfer ; margin of error ; marriage ; Mars ; mass ; matter ; matter-antimatter ratio ; meklinite ; Menthars ; Michael ; mid-range phase adjuster ; Midsummer Night's Dream, A ; milk ; Milky Way Galaxy ; million ; millirads per minute ; minute ; mood ; MTBF unit ; music ; name ; number one ; nursing ; object ; objection ; observation ; office ; offline ; " on the drawing board "; online ; opportunity ; orbit ; outpost ; parent ( mother ); patience ; percent ; personality ; personality trait ; personnel file ( Starfleet file ; Starfleet record ); personnel review ; phase coil ; phaser ; phaser power ; phenomenon ; piano etude ; plan ; plasma ; plasma energy ; plasma flow ; plasma inducer ; plasma injection throttle ; port ; power drain ; power level ; power system ; power tap ; power transfer conduit ; prematurity ; pressure ; problem ; protocol ; prototype ; quantity ; question ; radiation ; radiation band ; radiation level ; radiation pattern ; radiation protocol ; radiation signal ; radio transmission ; range ; rate ; rate of energy consumption ; record ; red alert ; refinement ; regulation ; relative distance ; relationship ; research ; respect ; reverse course ; rhetoric ; scalpel ; scanner ; schematic ; science station ; scientific equipment ; scientific paper ; second ; senior design engineer ; sensor data ; sentence ; shell ; shipment ; Shuttlebay 2 ; silicate ; soft jazz ; solar radiation ; solution ; sour ; space ( interstellar space ); spaceborne species ; spacesuit ; spec ; speed ; standard observation posture ; standard procedure ; star ; Starbase 313 ; Starfleet Command ; Starfleet Headquarters ; Starfleet uniform ; stasis ; subspace message ; subspace transmission ; sustenance ; swap-out schedule ; Theoretical Propulsion Group ; theory ; thought ; thousand ; threat ; three-dimensional chess ; tissue regeneration ; tour ; trace ; tritium ; truth ; understanding ; Utopia Planitia ; Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards ; Variations on a Theme of Paganini ; velocity ; vibration ; vinegar ; visit ; VISOR ; volume ; warp drive ; warp field ; warp field generator ; " wash our hands of "; wavelength ; weaning ; week ; writing ; year ;

Other references [ ]

• USS Enterprise Engineering Logs, Page 1 : Adams ; antimatter injector module ; Argyle ; avitable alignment ; calibration ; Carriker ; Cervantes calibration ; Coffin ; DeLong ; deuterium flow ; duty engineer ; duty shift ; Grant ; harmonic ; Harris ; " in any case "; " in progress "; Lynch, Leland T. ; MacDougal ; millicochrane ; moralls pressure ; operating temperature ; overpressure ; parameter ; Pastore pulse ; phase variation ; phase shift ; plasma erosion ; power output ; preburner ; Ross ; safety limit ; servicing ; Stepan ; subspace harmonic ; subspace phase coil ; supervision ; test instrumentation ; thermal conductivity ; watt
• USS Enterprise Engineering Logs, Page 2 : antimatter containment ; antimatter injection system ; antimatter purge vent ; Bussard collector ; configuration control log ; degaussing ; dilithium articulation frame ; magnetic containment field ; matter-antimatter reaction assembly ; optical nanoprocessor ; plasma injection throttle subsystem ; propulsion system ; prototype warp drive development logs ; Starfleet Safety Protocols ; subspace warp field ; tritium ; volume ; warp field geometry sensor

Unused production references [ ]

explanation ; Garran IV ; glitch ; malfunction

External links [ ]

• " Galaxy's Child " at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• " Galaxy's Child " at Wikipedia
• "Galaxy's Child" at StarTrek.com
• " Galaxy's Child " at MissionLogPodcast.com , a Roddenberry Star Trek podcast
• "Galaxy's Child" script  at Star Trek Minutiae
• 3 Ancient humanoid

'Star Trek: The Next Generation's Biggest Cliffhanger Changed Television Forever

These three episodes dared to do something new, and it paid off.

The Big Picture

• Serialized storytelling became dominant in TV thanks to shows like Hill Street Blues , which normalized season-long arcs and character development.
• Star Trek: The Next Generation broke TV rules with its two-part Season 3 finale and Season 4 premiere, which introduced the first true cliffhanger and a mind-blowing twist involving the Borg.
• The episodes "The Best of Both Worlds" and "Family" showcased the evolution of TV storytelling by prioritizing character development and exploring emotional fallout, setting a new standard for dramatic tension and flawed, evolving characters.

A long, long time ago, one-off episodes were the law of the land. Series were episodic in nature regardless of genre. Sometimes, characterization moments carried over and returning characters popped in and out for flavor's sake, but serialized narratives and character arcs didn’t creep into play until 1980s game-changers like Hill Street Blues . The drama from creators Steven Bochco and Michael Kozoll was a powerhouse risk-taker and an instrumental force credited for normalizing season-long arcs. Slowly but surely, serialized stories became dominant enough that episodic shows are now a rarity.

Star Trek: The Next Generation , the floundering sequel to the 1960s original, underwent a similar evolution. The Next Generation already had a lot to prove when it hit the airwaves in 1987. The glories of syndication had turned Star Trek: The Original Series into a cult classic, but the space-faring title was still far from global phenomenon status. Would the follow-up to a canceled series have enough bite to kickstart a franchise? Eight more shows, thirteen films, and a thriving fandom later, the answer's a resounding yes — but not before The Next Generation broke all the established TV rules in the summer of 1990 . A gut punch as staggeringly effective as its impact on the franchise's modus operandi is lasting, The Next Generation 's two-part Season 3 finale and Season 4 premiere sliced up audience expectations with the finesse of a butcher's meat cleaver and drop-kicked the television landscape into a new universe — dare we say, to "where no one has gone before."

Star Trek: The Next Generation

Set almost 100 years after Captain Kirk's 5-year mission, a new generation of Starfleet officers sets off in the U.S.S. Enterprise-D on its own mission to go where no one has gone before.

"The Best of Both Worlds" Prioritizes Character and Story Arcs

Despite strong ratings, The Next Generation 's early seasons saw conflict between creator Gene Roddenberry and the cast and crew over dialogue , costumes , and thematic content . Not only did The Next Generation follow the Star Trek formula of one-and-done episodes, but Roddenberry was insistent humanity had evolved past interpersonal flaws. It’s a nice thought, but utopian ideals make for dull, repetitive stories. After all, conflict is the heart of all drama. The more Roddenberry stepped away from The Next Generation , the more freedom the writers had to develop the Enterprise crew into dynamic, humane characters instead of stock figures fulfilling the plot-of-the-week's requirements. Those attempts catalyzed when Season 3 senior writer Michael Piller invoked a new scripting Prime Directive: every Season 3 episode had to prioritize character development .

Appropriately, the Season 3 finale and Season 4 premiere "The Best of Both Worlds, Part 1" and "Part 2" exist in applauded infamy as Star Trek's first true cliffhanger. You see, Season 2 had planted a dangling plot seed when the capricious entity Q (the perpetually delightful John de Lancie ) flung the Enterprise into uncharted space in a fit of pique — straight into the path of entities called the Borg. These hominids' sole purpose was to "assimilate" all in their path, stripping species of individuality, memories, and free will. The Enterprise quickly realized they were hopelessly outmatched by the Borg's technological superiority. Restored to a safe quadrant of space by the episode's end, the crew is left with a sense of looming dread. It was only a matter of time before the Borg declared war on humanity in ways Romulans, Cardassians, and Klingons could only dream of mimicking.

"The Best of Both Worlds, Part 1" wastes no time leaping head-first into "aw, crap" town. Every aspect feels starkly ominous, from the cold open where the crew confirms a populous Federation colony was annihilated by the Borg to a Starfleet strategy meeting detailing just how underprepared the galaxy is against this new enemy. Combined with an unsettling score and some understated performances, the expertly crafted tension lends the situation credence.

Smartly, Michael Piller's script interweaves naturalistic character beats between plot advancements and set pieces. In one corner, the normally unflappable main characters are tossed into introspection and self-doubt . In the other, the Enterprise crew enjoys their weekly poker nights. The tonal shifts between growing unease, predatory self-reflection, and breezy joke-swapping are smooth as butter and as complimentary as butter on fresh toast. Fans don't need exposition to know how close this group's grown as a triad of crew, people, and friends. The emotional stakes matter as much as the "threat against all humanity" stakes.

'Star Trek: The Next Generation's Biggest Cliffhanger Was Unprecedented

Captain Jean-Luc Picard ( Patrick Stewart ) , the man of the hour (the decade, the century, the millennia), said psychological stakes are stratosphere-high. Against such a monolithic threat as the Borg, an enemy that can't be intellectually reasoned with, Picard's out of his element. And it shows, the strain oscillating through Stewart's restless physicality. In a quietly potent scene, he and his long-time confidant Guinan ( Whoopi Goldberg ) discuss the tradition of a captain touring his ship before a hopeless battle. Picard has no qualms about sacrificing his life as long as civilization stays protected. There's hardly a better way to underscore just how stinking good of a man Picard is than through his selfless, courageous resolve. When it comes to morals, Picard is the most indefatigable Starfleet officer one could ask for.

Moments later, two Borg appear on the Enterprise bridge and kidnap Picard. Excuse me? Abducting the hero was just not done , y'all; not in Star Trek, and certainly not in normal episodic television. Everything that follows is a nightmare building toward the moment Beverly Crusher ( Gates McFadden ), part of a rescue team infiltrating the Borg cube, recognizes Picard through the haze of phaser fire. The lumbering figure she sees, however, is no longer Jean-Luc Picard. Attired in black Borg regalia with multiple limbs and one eye swapped out with mechanical parts, the Borg have brainwashed him into acting as their voice and their greatest weapon against the Federation.

Previous alien villains were still human-esque and therefore surmountable. Even Star Trek deaths were a cultural meme (hi, red shirts). In 1990, something capable of corrupting a cultured, impassioned captain into a mindless husk was unimaginable. When Borg!Picard promises the Federation's doom, all the Enterprise crew can do is listen. The atmosphere breathes and builds , ensuring the situation's horror is inescapable and that the crew's individual — yet, ironically, collective — grief is palpable. The floor has been wrenched out from under their feet as much as the viewers'.

Just as unheard of is the franchise's first cliffhanger , accompanied by a "To Be Continued..." screen and a "dun-dun-dun" score worthy of John Williams gravitas. In a lovely anecdote from Patrick Stewart (via his costar Jonathan Frakes ) , the actor shared how fans shouted at him, "[You] ruined our summer!" The world spent a long, torturous three months waiting to see if Picard was dead and gone. That kind of cultural anticipation pre-dated Game of Thrones and was something no money could buy.

‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’ Broke the Television Mold for the Better

If "Part 2" lacks its predecessor's impact, well, that was a tough act to follow. The Enterprise crew rescues Picard with gritty flair; teamwork outsmarts a Borg hive mind that's unable to think beyond its compulsion to conquer. One then expects an all's well that ends well in proper TV tradition. Yet between the mournful music cues and Stewart's soulful silences, it's obvious Picard remains haunted. Those dangling emotional threads immediately culminate in the next episode, "Family," penned by future Battlestar Galactica and Outlander showrunner Ronald D. Moore . As Picard prepares to visit his family home, he assures Deanna Troi ( Marina Sirtis ) that "The injuries are healing." She responds, "Those you can see in the mirror."

Picard's estranged brother Robert ( Jeremy Kemp ) also doesn't buy Picard's cautious avoidance. Old fraternal tensions rise until the two duke it out, and Picard, covered in mud, once again does something revolutionary for the untouchably dignified captain: he weeps, agonized and ugly. Not only does he feel violated, he blames himself for the innocent lives lost to the Borg. "Family" is a character study, allowing Picard to be a terrified, flawed, and furious mess who grapples with his trauma in viscerally basic human ways. Scars aren't resolved in sixty minutes. Picard's experiences will shape his life, but rather than try to escape those ramifications into happy ending TV land, he must learn to live with them. (Ironically enough, Gene Roddenberry strongly objected to "Family.")

Dramatic events in The Original Series rarely saw emotional fallout. Even the best characters remained static. That isn't inherently faulty given the era, but television's gradual shift toward long-form storytelling demanded more from The Next Generation . The character-based risk that was "The Best of Both Worlds" and "Family" paid off in dividends. Sure, the series remained largely episodic outside of two-parters and season finales. Yet The Next Generation overcame its creative impasse enough to run for four more seasons , secure the franchise's future, and set the bar exponentially high with regard to dramatic tension and flawed, ever-evolving characters. The rules were shattered, the boundaries pushed.

In The Next Generation 's wake, up cropped serialized shows as prestigious as The West Wing . By the 2000s, The Sopranos , The Wire , and Breaking Bad confirmed the new norm. At the same time serialized television stretched out its first feelers, this little sci-fi show that could left a mark equal to influential prestige dramas like Hill Street Blues . The sheer daring of "The Best of Both Worlds" and "Family" truly explored strange new worlds: the kinds of stories television could tell and the groundbreaking way it could tell them.

Star Trek: The Next Generation is available to stream on Paramount+.

Watch on Paramount+

The Star Trek “Origin” Movie Is Finally Going Into Production

The new Star Trek prequel movie is set to be revealed on the big screen. Probably.

For 30 years — from 1979 to 2009 — the longest wait between new Star Trek feature films was seven years. And, for most of that period, from the release of Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) to Star Trek: Nemesis (2002), there was almost always a new Star Trek movie in theaters every two to four years. But after the wildly successful J.J. Abrams-directed reboot film in 2009, the release clip for Trek movies went from maximum warp to impulse power, to glacially slow. And now, by the time the next Star Trek movie hits theaters, it will have been about 10 years since the previous one — Star Trek Beyond — beamed into cinemas in 2016.

Since that time, for Trekkies, updates of a new Star Trek film have been very similar to the game football Lucy plays with Charlie Brown; just when a hypothetical movie sounds real, it gets snatched away. But now, there’s a glimmer of hope. Thanks to reports out of CinemaCon 2024, it looks like, the next Trek film is scheduled for release in either 2025 or 2026. But what’s it about? And will it really happen?

Star Trek 14 is “an untitled origin story”

The new “origin story” will be set before the 2009 reboot. But how many decades before?

During CinemaCon 2024, Paramount confirmed several in-development projects including a live-action GI Joe / Transformers crossover (teased in 2023’s Rise of the Beasts ), a hardcore Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles live-action movie, a remake of the sci-fi thriller The Running Man (from Edgar Wright), the confirmation of an Avatar trilogy, and the assertion that a new Star Trek feature film will go into production this year, with a release date soon to follow.

Since 2016 to now, there have been at least five different attempts to make a new Star Trek film, either as timey wimey direct sequel to Beyond (“Star Trek 4”) a one-off space mobster movie (Quentin Tarantino’s script) or something else entirely (Noah Hawley and Matt Shakman’s attempts that remain undisclosed). But now, although Paramount is reportedly developing a sequel to Beyond — which would feature the reboot cast from the 2009 film one last time — the next Star Trek movie is not that sequel, but instead, as previously reported , an “origin story” that “takes place decades before the 2009 Star Trek film that rebooted the franchise.” This movie has been confirmed to be directed by Toby Haynes ( Andor, Doctor Who ) with a script from Seth Grahame-Smith ( The Lego Batman Movie , Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter) .

Wait? Wasn’t the 2009 film an “origin story?” While the answer to this question is technically a “yes,” the 2009 film (just titled Star Trek ) was also partially a time-travel sequel to the canon established in The Next Generation , and literally everything else in the Trek franchise up until that point. By saying the new prequel film takes place “decades before” the first reboot, this could hypothetically mean that the movie takes place in both the Prime and Kelvin timelines simultaneously.

TLDR: The Trek timeline diverged in the first reboot movie, beginning in the year 2233, so, a story set even a few decades before that divergence, in the 2210s or 2220s or earlier, would be consistent with all versions of Trek's future history. Presumably, the “origin story” won’t take place in the two decades between the prologue of the 2009 film (2233) and the main story (2258), because honestly, even for hardcore Trekkies that’s a big canon headache. So, sometime in the early 2200s, but before the 2230s is probably the best bet. And, even if the movie was set a bit earlier than that — say in the late 2180s or 2190s — we’d still be dealing with a very early point of Starfleet history that has never been depicted and that we know almost nothing about. Hence, if you squint — and don’t think about the prequel series Enterprise (2151-2161) too much — then yes, we’re looking at an origin story in which pretty much anything could happen.

Star Trek “origin” movie release date

One of the earliest shots of the USS Enterprise — from the 1964 Star Trek pilot episode “The Cage.” The new prequel film will likely be set half a century before this moment.

While some tweets out of CinemaCon seemed to indicate that the new Star Trek movie could hit next year in 2025 , TrekMovie confirmed that the “Untitled Star Trek Origin Story,” is on the Paramount slate for 2025 or 2026. TrekMovie also predicted that 2026 is more likely, writing, “If Paramount can move fast enough they could get the origin movie into theaters by 2026 — in time for Star Trek’s 60th anniversary.” Then again, 2025 is not impossible, it’s just cutting it a little close.

It should also be noted that the entire corporate entity of Paramount is reportedly close to a merger that would see it purchased by Skydance Media, the same production company behind the three existing J.J. Abrams-produced Star Trek reboots. If that deal is finalized soon, then, yes, this Star Trek feature film might actually happen very quickly. And if it doesn’t, there will still be plenty of new Star Trek shows streaming , not to mention the first direct-to-streaming standalone Star Trek movie, Section 31 , starring Michelle Yeoh, which will hit Paramount+ sometime later this year.

All the reboot Star Trek films (2009-2016) are currently streaming on Paramount+. The previous ten films (1979-2002) are all on Max.

Ryan Britt's new book on the history of Star Trek's biggest changes. From the '60s show to the movies to 'TNG,' to 'Discovery,' 'Picard,' Strange New Worlds,' and beyond!

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Star Trek: The Next Generation (TV Series)

Booby trap (1989), susan gibney: dr. leah brahms, photos .

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Dr. Leah Brahms : I am not used to having people question my judgment.

Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge : And I'm not used to dying.

Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge : You know, I've always thought that technology could solve almost any problem. It enhances the quality of our lives, lets us travel across the galaxy - even gave me my vision - but sometimes you just have to turn it all off. Even the gypsy violins.

Dr. Leah Brahms : Violins?

Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge : Different program.

Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge : Leah, do you like Italian food?

Dr. Leah Brahms : Like it? Wait till I make you my fungilli.

Dr. Leah Brahms : I'm with you every day, Geordi. Every time you look at this engine, you're looking at me. Every time you touch it, it's me.

Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge : Everything we've done says we can't adjust that fast, but if we could, it might work.

Dr. Leah Brahms : I could do it.

Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge : Data couldn't even do it. It'll take a hundred, maybe a thousand adjustments every second. How are you gonna do it? It's humanly impossible.

Dr. Leah Brahms : I'm not human.

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Star Trek Origin Movie Officially Announced By Paramount For 2025 Release

• Paramount Pictures announces new Star Trek movie for 2025, directed by Toby Haynes and written by Seth Grahame-Smith.
• Chris Pine-led Star Trek 4 remains in development, while the new film is an origin story set decades before Abrams' 2009 movie.
• Alongside the Star Trek origin movie, Paramount reveals a packed slate of exciting films for 2025-26 at CinemaCon in Las Vegas.

Paramount Pictures officially announces the next Star Trek movie, which is scheduled to arrive in theaters in 2025. As reported in January, the next Star Trek movie isn't the long-delayed, Chris Pine-led Star Trek 4 produced by J.J. Abrams, which remains in development at Paramount. Rather, the next Star Trek movie is an origin story directed by Toby Haynes ( Star Wars: Andor ) and written by Seth Grahame-Smith (A braham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter ).

Screen Rant' s Rob Keyes (@rob_keyes) is at CinemaCon in Las Vegas where Paramount Pictures confirmed the next Star Trek movie , currently called Untitled Star Trek Origin Story , to be released in 2025. J.J. Abrams is also producing Untitled Star Trek Origin Story, which takes place decades before Abrams' Star Trek 2009 movie. See Rob Keyes' Tweet below:

Paramount also confirmed Untitled Star Trek Origin Story will begin production later this year for theatrical release in 2025.

Every Upcoming Star Trek Movie & TV Show

Star trek's new movies in theaters and paramount plus explained, star trek is finally making movies again.

After nearly a decade, Star Trek i s back to making movies. Star Trek on Paramount+ has created a television renaissance for the franchise, but the theatrical side of Star Trek overseen by Paramount Pictures has languished in development hell since Star Trek Beyond bowed in the summer of 2016. Toby Haynes' Untitled Star Trek Origin Story is yet another prequel, but as it's said to be set decades before Star Trek 2009, it could very well be set after Star Trek: Enterprise 's mid-22nd century voyages but otherwise be an origin story for both Star Trek 's Prime and alternate Kelvin timelines .

Meanwhile, J.J. Abrams' Star Trek 4 , which is the "final chapter" of the USS Enterprise crew led by Chris Pine's Captain James T. Kirk and Zachary Quinto's Spock, has seen some movement with a new screenwriter, Steve Yockey ( The Flight Attendant ), tackling the long-delayed sequel. Pine and his fellow Star Trek actors, including Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, and Sofia Boutella, have all expressed their eagerness to return if Star Trek 4 can come together.

It's a positive sign that Star Trek movies are finally coming back.

Paramount+ is making their own Star Trek movies, with the recently-wrapped Star Trek: Section 31 awaiting a release date. Starring Academy Award-winner Michelle Yeoh, Section 31 i s the first made-for-streaming Star Trek movie, and it is reportedly set during Star Trek 's "lost era" with connections to Star Trek: The Next Generation. Section 31 could get a sequel if successful, and the Star Trek: Picard spinoff dubbed Star Trek: Legacy may also become a streaming movie instead of a series. However all this shakes out, it's a positive sign that Star Trek movies are finally coming back.

Source: Rob Keyes Twitter